I’ve been on the search for the perfect fall cocktail recipe, and the other day, inspiration struck and I came up with the idea of a pear and sage sazerac. I made a small batch of sage simple syrup, and a puree with some pears from our CSA box. What followed was a delicious cocktail reminiscent of New Orleans, with just enough sweet and herby flavor to be a fall standard.

Pear and Sage Sazerac

1-2 ounce bourbon (depending on your preference)

Splash of Pernod or Absinthe

1 bunch fresh sage

4-5 drops bitters

1-2 pears

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Begin by combining equal parts sugar and water (I did 1/2 cup to 1/2 cup for a small batch of simple syrup), bring to a boil until it begins to thicken (it should stick a bit to the back of spoon) and remove from heat, stir in 1 bunch of sage and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. After it’s had a chance to sit, remove the sage leaves.

Peel and core 1-2 pears (depending on how much puree you’d like), put in a steamer basket and steam for 10-12 minutes or until you can prick them easily with a fork. Once they are cooled, cut and place into a blender with some lemon juice and puree.

In a cocktail shaker, combine 1 TBSP pear puree, 1/2 ounce sage simple syrup, a few additional sage leaves, and muddle. Add 4-5 drops of bitters, and 1-2 ounces of bourbon (I prefer 2, but then again, I live in Williamsburg), and ice. Shake and strain* into a glass and garnish with a sprig of sage.

*The pear puree can get a bit thick towards the end, if this bothers you, I’d suggest straining through a cheesecloth.

I generally tend to veer more in the direction of pop-culture references when it comes to couples costume ideas. I appreciate the salt and pepper, eggs and bacon, etc., couples costumes, but I think the best couples costume ideas are ones that make you stop and think for a second.

The past two years, Jason and I have managed to come up with some pretty fun and ridiculous costume ideas. But with Halloween a few weeks away, we’re struggling to narrow down exactly what we plan on dressing as this year. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

Moonrise Kingdom(2012): Sam and Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom are sure to be a popular Halloween costume this year. It’s such a great little love story, and Wes Anderson really brings the 1960s to life with his stylizing of the characters.

Labyrinth(1986): Any costume that involves a man in eyeliner gets my vote, and if it’s David Bowie, that’s even better. Jim Henson’s Labyrinth has been one of my “must do” couples costume ideas for years. Sure, Sarah’s costume is a little bit boring (unless you want to go out in a ball gown), but the Jareth costume would be so, so fun. Bonus points: dress your baby as Toby if you can’t get a sitter for the night.

Princess Bride(1987): If you’re a bit more on the romantic side, this is definitely the costume for you. Rob Reiner‘s The Princess Bride is a timeless love story, and a perfect costume for a couple that might be divided on their costume ideas- you get to be a princess, he gets to be a pirate, it’s a win-win. (Pssst….did you see the Princess Bride reunion that happened in New York last week? Really wish I could’ve been there!)

Natural Born Killers(1994): If you haven’t seen this Oliver Stone directed film starring Juliette Lewis and Woody Harrelson, I have to warn you, it’s not for the faint of heart. Written by Quentin Tarantino, it’s a love story for the psychotic. Truth be told, I absolutely love these over the top characters, and after last years costume, it seems like a natural progression for Jason and me.

Fern Gully(1992): So, maybe it’s a cartoon, but I think that Fern Gully costumes would make an awesome choice this year. If you’re in your mid-20s, you’ll remember this film for it’s ridiculous songs (hello…batty rap?), and messages about the environment. But I’m essentially dying to do this costume because it would be the 3rd year in a row that I got Jason to dress like a character played (or voiced!) by Christian Slater.

I can’t believe it’s October already! You wouldn’t have any idea based on the dreary warm rain we’ve had in New York lately, but I’ve still been out trying to enjoy the fall as much as possible. Currently I’m craving chunky knits, faux furs, and cashmere everything. My current October goals are finding a perfect mustard yellow dress that can transition between seasons and perfecting an autumn themed smokey eye.

Job hunting has it’s pros and cons, but so far, my favorite pro has been the ability to see a movie on a rainy afternoon, and last week, I took the opportunity to see For a Good Time, Call…, and am so glad I did.

Two frenemies, Lauren and Katie, move in together to cover the rent on Katie’s grandmother’s fabulous Gramercy apartment (swoon), but when Lauren’s job situation hits a snag, they team up to start a phone sex line. Written by Lauren Miller (who stars as Lauren) and Katie Anne Naylon, this hilarious raunchy comedy manages to elicit laughs from simply being well written. Unlike the use of bodily fluids and physical comedy that was prevalent in last year’s Bridesmaids, For a Good Time, Call… manages to keep the comedy coming with a well thought-out screenplay, and superb acting by Miller and Ari Graynor (who is seriously, like, my favorite person ever now), and a hilariously gay Justin Long.

But my favorite part of For a Good Time, Call… is the fact that it manages to bypass all the plot devices so typical to female driven films. There’s no wedding, no baby, no fighting over a guy, For a Good Time, Call… is about friendship. It’s about two very different girls who manage to find one another, and fall in platonic love in the truest sense. It’s real, it’s truthful, it’s fun, and it’s silly. It reminds me of me and my girlfriends. Sure, there manages to be some drama (you couldn’t have a movie without it), but it’s just nice to see a movie that isn’t based on getting the guy.

It’s so fun to watch this development of female written and acted comedies. I love being able to see the change, and see it being done so well. Have you seen it yet? What did you think?

The weather in Brooklyn was super confusing yesterday. One minute it was brisk and rainy, and the next the sun was shining. Jason and I decided to take advantage in the break from the rain and go on a quick walk around the neighborhood. I’ve been obsessing over this Joe Fresh shirt since I bought it, and love pairing it with a lighter pink velvet pant, and as always I threw on my trusty denim jacket to enjoy a fall afternoon.

After a long, hard year and a half, At Sea’s full length album, A New Machine, releases on iTunes today. I am so proud of Jason for all his amazing work with this album, and it is truly, truly amazing. Each song is better than the last, and I can’t wait to be by his side on this next part of the journey.

If you’re a local New Yorker, the record release party is next Thursday, October 4th at Bowery Electric. You can buy tickets here, and if you have an advanced ticket, you get a copy of the album at the door! It’s bound to be a fun night.

Please check out a few of the songs on iTunes and let me know what you think!

This weekend was a friends 40th birthday, and when we were asked to bring a vegan dessert, I knew that I couldn’t wait to make Alicia Silverstone’s Chocolate Peanut Butter cups– until I got word that the cake was going to be chocolate too. I was back to square one, and stressed at the prospect of finding an easily transitable recipe that feeds 40! Luckily, while perusing the web, I stumbled upon this recipe for vegan pumpkin donuts, I knew it’d be the perfect introduction to fall.

These donuts were a breeze to make, and we were left with a spongy and moist donut, with just enough pumpkin and spices to hint at fall. The only thing I might change from this recipe was the process of dipping the donuts into earth balance prior to shaking them with cinnamon and sugar. My donuts ended up COATED in cinnamon and sugar, and while I just thought that was delicious, some of us that aren’t complete sugar fiends (ahem, Jason), weren’t as crazy about it. Ah, well, all the more for me!